British Polo Day celebrates its 60th event in Henley-on-Thames

Saturday 24th June, 2017 – Henley-on-Thames, UK – Presented by RJI Capital and hosted by The Schwarzenbach family, British Polo Day Great Britain on the 24th June marked its 60th event. Having held 59 invitation-only events in 16 countries since 2009, the annual series of events always returns to their home turf for the English Summer before completing the year in the Far East with events in China, the Indonesian island of Nihiwatu, and India.

British Polo Day is an unparalleled platform celebrating the history and heritage of polo with a global community, bringing together the world’s top companies and key influencers. It provides a platform for business in emerging and growth markets, giving partners enviable access to international contacts.

The Henley event was a high calibre sporting spectacle with the number one male player in the world, Argentinian Adolfo Cambiaso, playing his first exhibition match. At the River Ground, Black Bears, the top female player in the world, Brit Nina Clarkin, was also competing. Over 100 top British and international players have played at British Polo Day since its inception, and this year attracted well-known names in the polo world, such as HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, former England Captain Malcolm Borwick, Lord Wrottesley, and The Hon Tristan Phillimore.

Play commenced with home side Black Bears Vs KIG Polo, followed by British Schools Vs Rest of the World. The highlight of the opening game was undoubtedly the chance to watch the Cambiaso family take the field, with Adolfo joining forces with daughter Mia, and son Peroto representing the Black Bears. It was evident that the Cambiaso name will continue to dominate polo for years to come, with Peroto in particular relishing the dual against his father. Ultimately neither side could break away though, with KIG owner Bash Kazi taking the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award in a game that ended all square at five goals each.

The second game saw the British Schools side coming up against the Rest Of The World. With England international Malcolm Borwick controlling the game for the British side, they never looked in danger of losing. British number two Henry Porter set the tone early on with arguably the goal of the day, and their confidence never dropped from there. With both Will Emerson and Jamie Morrison at the back for Rest of the World, the British Schools side had to remain alert, and it was only a late intervention from Malcolm Borwick that secured their 5-4 victory.

Ben Vestey, the recently appointed CEO and Partner of British Polo Day said: “The base of partners – with over 2,000 years of combined heritage between them – speaks volume about the relationship building opportunities that British Polo Day creates. The Chairman Tom Hudson and I are particularly proud this year of the level and spirit of competition at the Great Britain event, with the world’s number one male and female players competing, Adolfo Cambiaso and my sister, Nina Clarkin. This is Adolfo’s first exhibition match of this kind and he is delighted to be playing with his 15-year-old daughter Mia for the Chelsea Barracks team against his 12-year-old son Poroto playing for Black Bears. This year we are also hosting a British Luxury Emporium (BLE), which showcases young and upcoming British brands.”

The current title partner is RJI Capital, the strategic advisory and merchant banking firm with a premium track record in global transactions. Mr Ron Wahid, Chairman & CEO of RJI Capital observed “RJI Capital celebrates its third year of partnership with British Polo Day in 2017. It has been a wonderful journey of discovering new synergies between our business and this unique international network of like-minded individuals founded upon a love of the sport of kings.”

The success of the British Polo Day has been largely down to word-of-mouth endorsement from many guests and supporters including key figures in government, the aristocracy, diplomats, military, fashion, art and popular culture. In addition, British Polo Day have hosted members of 12 royal families, 100 independent billionaires and leaders in world innovation including Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Over 20,000 guests have enjoyed British Polo Day in the last seven years, and British Polo Days have to-date raised over $2 million USD, from a standing start in 2011.